Homes evacuated after Moss Point gas leak

February 20, 2013 at 3:01 PM CST - Updated July 11 at 3:45 PM

MOSS POINT, MS (WLOX) - Several Moss Point residents are back home after being forced to evacuate Wednesday morning, due to a natural gas leak. According to the city's public works director, contractors were repairing an old gas line when they accidentally hit another gas line.

When fire officials got word of the problem, they called for a mandatory evacuation and immediately closed nearby streets.

"Whenever you are dealing with any type of flammable gas or vapors, you have to get these people evacuated as quickly as possible," Fire Chief Clarence Parks said.

"When I first pulled up, I could smell it," Lincoln Keeton said. "I didn't know the seriousness of it until they told me I couldn't get in the house."

Keeton was one of several residents and business owners who left the neighborhood as a safety precaution.

"I got my wife out. My neighbor to the south of me, I woke her up and got her out. My neighbor across the street, he was walking out his front door and I told him what was going on," Keeton said.

Luckily, no one was hurt and the gas leaked was capped less than an hour later.

"It was quickly stopped and they clamped the line off. The line that was hit was a two inch line," Public Works Director Russell Davis said.

Davis said he always stresses to his team to take extra caution when upgrading antiquated infrastructure and fixing gas lines. But he admits there is always a possibility for error.

"Like today, you have professional gas company here working on the line. The line was located and the line that he hit was off to the left. I am glad know one was hurt and the few citizens who were evacuated were able to return home," Davis said.